Article Posted on : - Nov 08, 2010

An unrelated photo of PLA Navy’s Ka-27 Helicopter

BEIJING (PTI): China has successfully test flown its first indigenously developed light civilian helicopter in northern port city of Tianjin, according to a report in the state-run media Monday.

The two-tonne AC311 light helicopter, developed and manufactured by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), can be used for flight training, policing, medical aid communication command, aerial photography, power line patrol, forest fire prevention and pest control, it said.

The aircraft was equipped with a fuel-efficient engine, a durable and flexible composite rotor system, and a highly integrated avionics system, said Wang Bin, general manager of Avicopter Corporation Limited, a joint venture between AVIC and the Tianjin municipal government.

"Its technology and performance are close to the international advanced level. In terms of cost, it is about 10 to 15 per cent less than similar products from other manufacturers," the official Xinhua news agency quoted Wang as saying.

"The AC311 helicopter will be sold worldwide. The first two have been purchased by police from Tianjin's Binhai New District and Guiyang (capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province)," he said.

The AC311 helicopter is expected to obtain a type certificate from China's civil aviation authorities in October 2011 and go on the market in 2012, he said.